German Embassy Colombo funds ‘Right to Women’s Political Representation in Sri Lanka’ project

German Ambassador Jörn Rohde 

formally handed over the cheque to Dr. Nimalka Fernando

On 21 February Ambassador Jörn Rohde signed an agreement for a new human rights project with the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (Asia Committee) – IMADR-AC, granting Rs. 4,126,670 (EUR 27,000) to the project ‘Right to Women’s Political Representation in Sri Lanka’. 

The Ambassador formally handed over the cheque to Dr. Nimalka Fernando, who is the director of the organisation and a renowned human rights activist. Ambassador Rohde underlined the importance of gender equality: “It is essential to promote real gender equality. In most societies, also in Sri Lanka and Germany, women are in the majority. Equal opportunities for women and men are crucial for social advancement and for a prospering society. We need to encourage women to increase their participation in politics.”

The ambitious goal of the project is to strengthen women’s political participation and leadership in governance. Through a range of activities the skills and capacities of women, who aspire to contest in the upcoming local government elections 2017 will be enhanced. These activities include capacity and skill development workshops and awareness-raising and mentoring programs, as well as access to a supporting networks and informative material. By undergoing these programs and making use of the offered resources, the organisation will enable women to promote relevant topics, such as democracy, good governance, gender equality, and reconciliation. 

Although the Sri Lankan Constitution states gender equality as a fundamental right, women tend to lack the necessary access to resources and information in order to fully enjoy this right. Therefore, despite laws such as the 25% quota, there is a need for projects such as Right to Women’s Political Representation in Sri Lanka in order to enhance women’s ability for constructive political participation. Dr. Nimalka Fernando is hopeful that this project will have a long term impact on changing the image of political representation in Sri Lanka and will specifically benefit those communities, whose voice is not always heard.